theWork theCraft theTalent theInspiration theNews theInsight theShowcase theFocus theNewsletter
Log in
Logged in
Search the archives

the Insight

Percipient thought-pieces and opinions from some of
the world’s most respected industry leaders.

Kerry O'Connor by Kerry O'Connor on 7th February 2025

In advertising, like in life, timing can be everything. While previous thinking told us pre-releasing a new Super Bowl campaign was a creative no-no, that's not necessarily the case anymore. Kerry O'Connor, Group Strategy Director at McKinney, looks at why.

6th Feb SUPER BOWL 2025
The Super Bowl template is an obstinate beast

The Super Bowl template is an obstinate beast

What ads would make you sit up and take notice at the Super Bowl? Is the Big Game's demand for anthropomorphised animals and celebrity cameos really going to score big, asks John Carstens, Chief Creative Officer at Team DDB, or should brands – and their agencies – try to quiet the room through the power of contrast?

4th Feb CULTURE CORNER
The ad industry doesn't care about DEI (and it's getting harder to pretend it does)

The ad industry doesn't care about DEI (and it's getting harder to pretend it does)

What if you were invited to a party but, on arrival, were ignored, then told not to eat the food, or dance to the music? Your seemingly friendly, initially welcoming host sounded like one thing, but turned out to be another. But, says Amy Kean, isn't that a bit like advertising? It might say it wants you to come, might even put together an initiative to encourage your attendance, but its inaction speaks louder than words.

27th Jan
Bach to basics; is it time to listen without prejudice?

Bach to basics; is it time to listen without prejudice?

Is Beyonce more effective than Bach? Can Sheeran shift more product than Schubert? Gary Hilton, Director of GAS Music, believes that when it comes to music, we should open our minds - and our ears - to not just the new, but the old. Because creative opportunities abound when we listen beyond the expected.

Don’t miss new shots content – sign up to our mailing list.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news, insight and inspiration for the global creative community.

Console culture; how gaming is shaping the future of entertainment Console culture; how gaming is shaping the future of entertainment
24th Jan

Consoleculture;howgamingisshapingthefutureofentertainment

From the table top, to the small screen and beyond, gaming has become the centre of popular culture, with huge numbers of dedicated fans. Steve Ford, SVP Advertising at ESL FACEIT Group, asks what brands can learn from the kings of the console.

21st Jan MUSIC VIDEO FOCUS
Music videos; we love you, and we need you

Music videos; we love you, and we need you

If video killed the radio star, on who or what do we blame the fall of music videos? Ok, so promos aren't dead but, says Elliott Starr, Creative Director at Impero, they are much diminished, and the creative industry is the worse for it.

8th Jan
2025 will be the year of brutal brand honesty

2025 will be the year of brutal brand honesty

While advertising in the first half of the 2020s was defined by caution, sensitivity and increased public accountability, Paul Prato, ECD of PPK, predicts that 2025 will see a boom in bolder branding.

7th Jan
Risk and reward; playing it safe is a creative dead end

Risk and reward; playing it safe is a creative dead end

As a new year arrives, so too should a new approach to advertising, says World War Seven director Emma Debany. Or, rather, a return to an old approach; one which might take guts to roll the creative dice, but which can also deliver creative glory.

Source + membership

Access the world's largest advertising database. With an intuitive toolset that helps you explore, present and collaborate more effectively.

Learn More
shots is powered by Slate

The smartest way to manage, present and pitch your work.

Request a demo
The power of the past in tomorrow’s branding The power of the past in tomorrow’s branding
3rd Jan

Thepowerofthepastintomorrow’sbranding

Forsman & Bodenfors NY Group Creative Director Ivan Guerra predicts that the next big thing in the new year's marketing could be good old-fashioned heritage.

20th Dec CHRISTMAS 2024
Adland's happy tropemas messaging

Adland's happy tropemas messaging

It's not only wrapping paper that gets recycled at Christmas, says Damon Collins, Founder of Joint, as he casts a weary cliché-spotting eye over the UK's festive marketing 2024. However, he concedes, there were a couple of gems that shone brightly amid the fairies and gingerbread.

20th Dec
Why Russell Brand’s baptism is a depressing turning point for men’s mental health

Why Russell Brand’s baptism is a depressing turning point for men’s mental health

If a holy hand of forgiveness is sought, does that really absolve a man's sins? If a mental health diagnosis is declared, does that truly exonerate any male transgression? No, of course it doesn't, says Amy Kean, but if famous and fallible people keep insisting it does, where does that leave the already fragile men’s mental health movement?

Source + membership

Access the world's largest advertising database. With an intuitive toolset that helps you explore, present and collaborate more effectively.

Learn More
shots is powered by Slate

The smartest way to manage, present and pitch your work.

Request a demo